YORK—Freeport’s softball team has enjoyed a memorable, historic season so far this spring.

But the Falcons learned Monday afternoon that they still have a long way to go to catch up with the reigning Class B champion York Wildcats.

Freeport mustered just one hit against York senior ace McKayla Kortes, who has committed to playing next year at Merrimack College.

The host Wildcats gave Kortes the only run she’d need when freshman shortstop Sarah Orso grounded out with the bases loaded to score sophomore rightfielder Nya Avery in the bottom of the first.

York tacked on three more runs in the second, on an RBI single from Avery, a sacrifice fly from sophomore first baseman Maddie Fitzgerald and an error.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Wildcats made it 6-0, as senior third baseman Ella Hickey was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and junior leftfielder Hannah Cleary added a sacrifice fly.

Kortes took a no-hitter to the sixth before giving up a clean single to Freeport senior shortstop Rosie Panenka, but she allowed nothing else, and in the bottom of the frame, an Orso RBI single, run-scoring error, RBI single from Hickey and an RBI hit from Avery induced the mercy rule and produced a 10-0 victory.

York improved to 14-0 on the season, won its 29th game in a row dating back to last year and in the process, dropped the Falcons to 11-2.

“This team still has the mindset that it has the ability to win any game,” said Freeport first-year coach Chris St. Pierre. “We came down here today thinking that, but that’s a good team over there. They have a great pitcher and a tough lineup.”

Measuring stick

Freeport’s season has been one of excellence, a surprise to most everyone not involved with the program.

The Falcons, who won just three games in 2023, outlasted host Gardiner in nine-innings in the opener (9-7), then defeated visiting Poland (5-3), host Lake Region (6-3), host Gray-New Gloucester in four-innings (18-1), host Morse (2-0), visiting Old Orchard Beach in three-innings (15-0), host Greely (7-6), visiting Lincoln Academy (6-2), visiting Wells in five-innings (14-4) and host Fryeburg Academy (14-5). Friday, Freeport’s best start this century ended with an 8-2 loss at reigning Class D champion North Yarmouth Academy, but Saturday, the Falcons bounced back with a five-inning home win over Yarmouth (17-7).

York, meanwhile, has picked up where it left off after last year’s season state title, dominating Wells (10-0, in five-innings), Poland (16-4), Fryeburg Academy (8-2), Wells (15-4), Cape Elizabeth (17-2, in five-innings), Morse (11-1, in five-innings) and Yarmouth (14-4). After holding off Poland in a second meeting (6-3), the Wildcats returned to their transcendent ways, defeating Greely (17-6, in six-innings), Fryeburg Academy (10-0, in five-innings), Gray-New Gloucester (13-3) and Cape Elizabeth (17-0, in three-innings).

Last year, York rolled to a 16-1 (five-inning) victory at Freeport.

Monday, on an overcast afternoon that even featured fog rolling in at times, the Falcons hoped to beat the Wildcats for the first time since May 5, 2018 (7-6 on the road), but instead, York was never seriously threatened as it made it five straight in the series to keep its good times rolling.

Kortes was dominant in the top of the first, fanning senior second baseman Norah Albertini, junior pitcher Izzy George and junior leftfielder Celia Cobb.

The Wildcats then took the lead in the bottom half, but squandered an opportunity to break the game open early.

Avery led off by drawing a walk on a 3-1 pitch, then George plunked Fitzgerald with a pitch. Kortes then drew a walk on a full count to load the bases with nobody out. Orso grounded out to third, where freshman Alison Brown fielded the ball and stepped on the bag for the first out, but Avery came home on the play. Estes then drew a walk to reload the bases, but George fanned sophomore designated player Bella Santini before getting junior catcher Lindsay Rivers to hit a little nubber in front of the plate and George threw home for the force out to retire the side and keep the score 1-0.

Kortes fell behind Panenka 3-0 to start the second inning, then threw a strike before getting Panenka to ground out sharply to third. Junior catcher Vanessa St. Pierre chased strike three, but sophomore centerfielder Liliana Larochelle drew a walk and moved to second on a passed ball. Junior first baseman Ciara Daly then drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch and after Larochelle stole third, a wild pitch put Daly at second, but junior rightfielder Eydie Kaplan couldn’t deliver the runs, chasing a high pitch for strike three and the third out.

In the bottom half, York added three more runs for some breathing room.

Hickey lined the first pitch she saw into left-center for a single, then Cleary hit a drive to right for a double, putting runners at second and third. Avery singled up the middle on the first pitch she saw to score Hickey and put runners at the corners, then Fitzgerald flew out deep to center and Cleary came home on the sacrifice fly. When Kortes grounded out to third, with Avery taking second, George appeared poised to escape further damage when she got Orso to line to right, but the ball was missed for an error, scoring Avery. Orso tried to come all the way around and score on the play, but she was thrown out at the plate for the final out, keeping the score 4-0.

In the top of the third, Kortes walked Brown on a 3-2 pitch, then rebounded to catch Albertini looking strike three, get George to pop to a diving Fitzgerald at first and Cobb to chase strike three.

George made quick work of the Wildcats in the bottom half, getting Estes to line to center, where Larochelle made a nice running catch, before inducing ground outs from Santini (to third) and Rivers (to second).

After Panenka lined out to second to start the top of the fourth, St. Pierre drew a walk, but she’d be stranded, as Larochelle flew out to left and Daly watched strike three.

In the bottom half, George got Hickey to pop to second, but Cleary singled to right. After George fanned Avery, Fitzgerald blooped a single down the leftfield line, but Kortes lined out to center to end the threat.

Kortes returned to her dominant ways in the top of the fifth, catching junior pinch-hitter Morgan Vachon looking at strike three, then getting Brown to ground back to the mound on the first pitch and Albertini to bounce out to third.

York opened it up even further in the bottom half.

Orso got the rally started with a bloop single to right. Estes then singled to center and Santini grounded the first pitch she saw up the middle to load the bases. George got Rivers to ground into a second-to-home force out, but she hit Hickey with a pitch to score Orso and reload the bases before Cleary flew out to right on a full count pitch, scoring Estes to make it 6-0. Avery popped out to first for the third out.

The only remaining drama revolved around Freeport getting a hit, as Kortes got George to ground out to senior second baseman Ava Brent, who made a nice play going to her right, and Cobb to ground out to third on a bunt attempt, but Panenka ended the suspense with a first pitch single up the middle, as the ball deflected off Kortes’ glove, but got through. Panenka then stole second and third and St. Pierre walked and stole second, but Kortes ended her afternoon by fanning Larochelle.

The Wildcats then put it away with four runs in the bottom half.

After George plunked Fitzgerald with a pitch, Kortes worked the count full and singled up the middle. Orso did the same, to score Fitzgerald. Estes was next and her grounder to short was fielded by Panenka, who looked to throw to second for the force out, but the second baseman was slow in covering and the throw was wild, scoring senior courtesy runner Ella Moores and putting runners at first and second. After junior pinch-hitter Lily Clark popped to second, George caught Rivers looking at strike three, but Hickey singled off George’s glove and the ball got through up the middle, scoring Orso and putting runners at second and third. After Cleary drew a walk, Avery had a chance to walk it off and she came through with line single to left to score Estes to end the game, 10-0.

“I told Nya, ‘Let’s go home,'” said York coach Kevin Giannino. “Freeport’s had a great year. We haven’t been challenged. That’s as good as anyone’s played us. They made some nice plays.”

York got two hits apiece from Avery, Cleary, Hickey and Orso.

Avery, Hickey and Orso all drove in two runs, while Cleary and Fitzgerald had an RBI apiece.

Avery and Estes both scored twice, while Cleary, Fitzgerald, Hickey, Moores, Orso and Santini touched home plate one apiece.

The Wildcats stranded 10, but it had no impact on the game.

Kortes struggled to find the strike zone at times, but was still close to unhittable, finishing with a complete game, one-hit shutout victory. Kortes walked five and struck out 10.

“Makayla threw hard the first inning, then we made some nice plays behind her and she breezed through at the end,” said Giannino.

“We haven’t seen pitching like that,” Chris St. Pierre said. “She’s the real deal. There’s a reason she’s a D1 commit. You face a pitcher like that, we know we’ll have to get ready if we see her again. If we see her again, we’ll come more prepared. We’ll hit the cage and jack up the pitching machine a little bit.”

George took the loss, surrendering 10 runs (six earned) on 12 hits in 5.2 innings of work. She walked four, fanned three and hit three batters.

“Give (George) credit,” Giannino said. “Her ball was moving in and out and up and down. She kept us off-balance.”

Panenka had Freeport’s lone hit.

The Falcons did steal four bases, but left six runners on.

“Usually, when you get runners on, we try to get things in our favor, but unfortunately we didn’t get any breaks today,” St. Pierre said. “This year, we’ve had more on-days than off. We played better against them than most of the teams they’ve seen. We know what to look forward to if we see them in the playoffs.”

One week left

York wraps up its regular season with a trip to Lake Region Wednesday and home games versus Yarmouth and Greely next week.

“We’re a confident group,” Giannino said. “That’s 29 wins in a row now. The girls are on a roll. That’s how you want to be going into the tournament. It’s state title or bust for the seniors. All they’ve talked about since winning it last year is doing it again. The last York team to do (win back-to-back championship) was 1988-89. We hope to finish strong.”

Freeport, meanwhile, looks to bounce back Wednesday at Yarmouth. After hosting Lake Region Friday, the Falcons close at home versus Cape Elizabeth Tuesday of next week.

“I don’t think this will affect our confidence at all,” said Chris St. Pierre. “Even though we have a bid to the playoffs, we want to come out and win our final three games. The playoffs are when things really start to count. This team wants it.”

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.